Hyderabad, Aug 8 (Inditop.com) A thick security blanket has been thrown around G.M.C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium following a reported warning by intelligence agencies about a terror threat to the World Badminton Championships beginning here Monday.
Cyberabad police have stepped up security at the stadium in Gachibowli following intelligence inputs of an impending threat to the seven-day event from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Over 250 policemen have been deployed at the stadium, the Gopichand Academy, where the players are practising and at four different hotels where the players and officials are staying.
Badminton Association of India (BAI) officials confirmed that intelligence officials visited the venue and discussed the threat with the organisers. Cyberabad police officials, however, refused to either confirm or deny the reports of terror threats to the event.
BAI joint secretary Punnaiah Choudary confirmed that intelligence officials visited the venue and discussed the reported LeT threat with BAI officials.
The officials of Cyberabad Commissionerate, under whose jurisdiction the stadium falls, merely said fool-proof security arrangements were made for the event to prevent any untoward incident.
Every vehicle going towards the venue is being checked and every person is being frisked. Metal detectors have been installed at various entry points to the stadium. The security personnel have also pressed into service sniffer dogs and bomb disposal squads.
About 500 international players and officials will be arriving for the Aug 10-16 badminton championship. According to organisers, 200 players and officials have already reached Hyderabad.
The reports of threat to the championship came in the wake of intelligence warnings of possible LeT attacks in the city on Independence Day Aug 15.
Central intelligence agencies have already warned that Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad were facing a high level threat from LeT. Following this warning, the police have sounded a high alert in the city.
rounak